If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Comment

I watched Alabama's A-Day Game yesterday & was wowed by Marcel Dareus like everyone else...... 16 freaking sacks in 2 scrimmages!! He was all over the field for 4 qtrs. too, he has that nonstop motor. He flung 330-lb OT DJ Fluker aside like nothing, this guys has awesome upper body strength. Saban was miked in the 1st half & he was all over Fluker for stopping too soon on an MVP talent like Dareus.

Everybody wondered why TF they had a Heisman winner out there in an intrasquad game in pads getting hit at all -- I guess when you have over 91,000 paid admission show up for it, you trot out your A-Listers. Trent Richardson dropped his 1st catch, then compensated for it by catching a sideline pass fully extended after a dbl-pass from the back pgs of the playbook. They ran a lot out of the shotgun

Great QB depth behind McElroy with McCarron, the freshman from Mobile + Phillip Sims, a early Bama entry at age 17 from Roanoke, the +1-ranked QB in the country who broke most of Michael Vick's Virginia HS QB rcds. Sims showed incredible arm strength for a 17 yr old on his 1st pass through the outstretched arms of a rusher

Report on Hightower is that he's back to full speed, & Nico Johnson & Eryk Anders bring experience to the front 7 on defense, who all look to be OK -- Saban's top-ranked defensive recruits make it easy to reload from 8 lost starters. Anders, from Smithson Valley, TX btw was the player who sacked Gilbert to shut down the Horns 2nd half comeback & seal the win over Texas for the program's 13th national championship.

Weak link is the punter, a freshman who started poorly with 22-yarders. The kickoff guy is from South Lake Carroll in Texas, the same HS that gave us McElroy, with a very long leg -- they need to develop him into their PK to replace Tiffin, the overall kicking game & green OL needs to improve by degrees before September, they have to take on Penn St. at home on the 2nd game of the yr. circa 9/8.

Comment

Best comment from the ESPN A-Day Game broadcast: "Commissioner" Saban told the zebras to put more time back on the clock b/c he wanted to see something again on a pass play, Craig James in the booth said "Oh, a Mack Brown move...."

"Mack Brown move....." LMFAO!!!!

Comment

- At QB true freshman Tyler Bray was extremely impressive. He got rid of the ball quickly, showed accuracy and great arm strength. Also, he showed some wheels when scrambling. Matt Simms was disappointing to say the least. Three INTs and held the ball too long.
- At RB David Oku was impressive on kick returns and Tauren Poole showed great versatility by turning catches into big gains. Both ran hard but struggled between the tackles.
- At WR Matt Milton showed flashes as a true freshman but still needs work on focus and preparation. Gerald Jones was impressive and looked like a leader. Denarius Moore had some big plays, but also had some drops. Luke Stocker sat out.
- The offensive line was very streaky. The first team was split-up between both teams, so I figure they'll play better when they get all of the best players on the same line. Victor Thomas got hurt. Tennessee can't afford any more injuries here. True freshman Jawuan James looked very impressive.
- The defensive line looked unblockable. Marlon Walls and Montori Hughes wrecked the middle of the pocket and all of the defensive ends were getting more pressure than in years past.
- At linebacker Lamarcus Thompson and Austin Johnson looked the most impressive making plays all over the field. It will be interesting to see if they move AJ outside once Reveiz comes back healthy.
- After the loss of Eric Berry and Dennis Rogan early to the pros, one would think our secondary would be hurting. However, Janzen Jackson and Darren Myles were extremely impressive at safety and were making all kinds of plays. Eric Gordon and Naz Oliver held their own well as RS freshmen. Starting corner Art Evans didn't play.
- Special teams was nearly impossible to judge as kick-off tackling and punt returns weren't allowed. Punting didn't look great. Michael Palardy will probably start there as soon as he steps on campus.

All-in-all I came away more hopeful than I had been. If you're a Tennessee fan, just pray for few to no injuries on the offensive and defensive lines.

Comment

Ole Miss junior RB looked like a man amongst boys in our spring game. Super talented former 5 star who has had to fight for carries with a crowded Ole Miss backfield, but he looks like he has really worked hard and beasted yesterday. Has great size and speed, if he puts it all together he could be a monster.

Comment

Mettenberger is an arrogant guy, but I didn't realize how arrogant he was. Hopefully this is a wakeup call for him, because he obviously thought he was above this kind of discipline. Richt should hope this is the last player he has to kick off the team, because his seat is starting to get warm.

Comment

Ole Miss junior RB looked like a man amongst boys in our spring game. Super talented former 5 star who has had to fight for carries with a crowded Ole Miss backfield, but he looks like he has really worked hard and beasted yesterday. Has great size and speed, if he puts it all together he could be a monster.

Comment

Hate to hear a kid squander his opportunity like that, but I got no sympathy for him. UGA should be alright at QB with Aaron Murray and Gray, hopefully.

Dawg fans did speak highly of Mettenberger though.

It's a big loss, he was raw but still he was a 6'5 QB with one of the strongest arms in his class playing in a pro style offense. It's wierd that he went from 1 game to kicked off the team. It hasn't came out what he did, but it looks like more came out from when he was arrested a few months back. Also his mom is Mike Bobo's assistance so just a wierd case all around.

The QB depth is now very thin and has me losing sleep at night. The 3rd string QB is a 3* true freshman. The backup Logan Gray they wanted to move to WR and barely got on the field for mopup duty last year. When he did get on the field it wasnt pretty. Now the team and maybe Mark Richt's job is in the hands of a 6'0 QB who only started for a year and half in high school.

Comment

Sure they have been down for a few years, but they used to be perennial top 10. We also have USF this year....

That's true, but FSU is an annual thing so it feels different. UF plays them every year, they're familiar with one another, and the Gators don't even have to leave the state.

But in ya'lls defense, ya'll don't have to play anyone OOC. You'll face quality opponents in the SEC to raise/keep your ranking, and are located in a talent rich state which makes recruiting easy. Tennessee isn't a hotbed for football talent, so UT has to recruit nationally and not just in the Southeast. By playing the likes of California, UCLA, and Oregon, it puts the Vols brand on display in front of high school players in California and Oregon in an effort to help recruiting.

Comment

That's true, but FSU is an annual thing so it feels different. UF plays them every year, they're familiar with one another, and the Gators don't even have to leave the state.

But in ya'lls defense, ya'll don't have to play anyone OOC. You'll face quality opponents in the SEC to raise/keep your ranking, and are located in a talent rich state which makes recruiting easy. Tennessee isn't a hotbed for football talent, so UT has to recruit nationally and not just in the Southeast. By playing the likes of California, UCLA, and Oregon, it puts the Vols brand on display in front of high school players in California and Oregon in an effort to help recruiting.

But still, it's a bragging point for us! :D

no you're right. I would like to see us go out and play a quality OOC opponent early in the season. We have USF this year, but I mean a Pac 10 or Big 12 or something along those lines. It would be fun.